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USD 434 closed due to threat

CARBONDALE — USD 434 Santa Fe Trail has cancelled classes at all schools for Thursday, April 20, do to a possible threat.

"We're still working on the investigation. It will be the county attorney working on the case," said Lori Dun, sheriff.

Osage County Sheriff Laurie Dunn, said that at approximately 6 p.m. April 19 that the Osage County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of a possible threat to Santa Fe Trail High School. An investigation began immediately.

At 7 p.m. a 15-year-old male student was arrested. This was a verbal threat, no weapons or explosives were involved.

“A lot of the times the school will suspend first and then go through expulsion with a hearing officer,” said principal Patrick Graham.

The Santa Fe Trail School District opted to close the schools due to this threat.

“The sequence started at 5 p.m., we turned the issue over to Dunn and they kept in contact," said superintendent Steve Pegram. "We didn’t want any loose ends. The sheriffs department was fantastic throughout the whole thing.”

The threat falls on the same date as the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Pegram thought that the threat could have been made with the incident in mind.

The case was forwarded to the Osage County Attorney’s Office to determine formal charges. Osage County attorney Brandon Jones said that the student was released to his parents the night of the threat. Juvenile Intake and Assessment made the decision. According to Jones, Law Enforcement officials are still following up on the case.